Macaron Boxes

I couldn't resist making macarons so that I could see how they looked in my new boxes. I like it!

I'm so excited to share with you these boxes I found online just for packaging macarons.

When I first started making macarons a few years ago, I couldn't find any boxes specifically made for them so I came up with my cupcake-liner and cellophane bag solution which works well and is cute but I always held out hope I would also find some great boxes. A box does look more professional.

Before the boxes, this is how I packaged macarons using cupcake-liners and cellopane bags.

I found the boxes at Paper Mart, the same online company I order my cellophane bags from. They have an assortment of colors, styles and sizes to choose from and they come in parts that arrive flat and need to be folded and assembled.

The parts for one box. They arrive flat and need to be folded and assembled.

I went with the double macaron box that comfortably holds a dozen 2-inch cookies and comes in three parts — base, divider and full-window slider. Without shipping, the parts for a single completed box cost .99 which I didn't think was too bad.

Of course once my shipment arrived I had to whip up some lemon and watermelon macarons because I couldn't resist filling a box and adding a homemade tag to see how it looked. I'm very pleased.

The divider in the base helps keep the macarons stable.

I chose a slider with a full window but you can also get sliders with half a window and no window.

The homemade tag and twine adds that final touch.

These boxes will be perfect for future bake sale fundraisers for The Wednesday Community Meal. I can't wait!

Packaged Halloween Cookies

My Halloween cookies are all packaged and ready to share thanks to some spooky homemade tags and self-sealing clear cellophane bags. I order the cellophane bags in bulk from an online company called Paper Mart and including the shipping, they end up costing less than 3-cents each.

Here's how:

I buy 1000 cellophane bags at a time and they come in a small easy to store box.

Four mini Halloween cookies look cute in one bag.

A two cookie package looks good too. After inserting the cookies into the bag and peeling the protective strip off of the adhesive, fold the bag a few times around the cookies and seal in the back.

The bags come in multiple sizes. I used a larger 6-inch bag for the skeleton cookie.

I love my scalloped paper punch for making tags. One sheet of purple paper got me a dozen tags. The punch costs about $14 but it's a one time purchase and will pay for itself since tags are not cheap to buy. Here's a tip: Use one of those easy to find 40-percent off coupons from Michael's Arts & Crafts to purchase one. I get one of the coupons every Sunday in my Oregonian newspaper. Or, download the Michael's Mobile App onto your cellphone.

Shaky writing adds a nice touch.

My tip is to drink a few cups of coffee and let your hand shake away as you write. In no time you will have lots of spooky tags.  So much fun.

I punched a hole in both the tag and cellophane bag and attached it with a ribbon.

A tiny piece of orange ribbon looks cute too. I look for sales on ribbon at the craft store and buy it ahead of time.

Packaging Sugar Cookies

I dropped the squirrel cookies in the cello bags and then folded them around the cookie and sealed them for a tight fit.

Sugar cookies make great gifts and look so cute packaged in food safe cello bags. After you package the cookies, they'll stay fresh for weeks.

I buy my 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 - sized cello bags online from a company called Paper Mart.

A thousand bags come in a small box and cost just $20.50. After adding shipping, the bags are still  under 3-cents each which is a real bargain.

My handy box of cello bags.

The bags have a self-sealing strip that makes packaging cookies super easy.

I also like that the box is small and easy to store. The bags have a self-sealing strip and they show off the cookies nicely.

Before packaging just make sure that your royal icing is completely dry. Don't rush to package them or you'll be frustrated.